Significant Funding for The Palace

Government invests in arena/pool repairs

The leaky roof and air exchanger issues that have haunted the Northern Lights Palace for the past number of years will now be permanently addressed.

Randy Hoback, Member of Parliament for Prince Albert was in Melfort to announce funding for Infrastructure upgrades for the Northern Lights Palace on Tuesday, April 9.

These upgrades were under Federal Government’s Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund (CIIF).

At the Palace the Federal Government’s investment of $250,000 will go towards the replacement of the roof and the air exchanger. The upgrades will also increase the building’s energy efficiency and reduce water damage caused by the ongoing leak problem in the old roof.

“The City of Melfort is extremely grateful to be receiving the CIIF (Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund) funding that will be applied to roof restoration at the Northern Lights Palace skating arena and swimming pool complex,” Melfort Mayor Rick Lang said.

The City Council had plans in place to address the issue but this funding will allow them to address it in a more timely fashion.

“We did have money in budget to address part of the problem this year, but without this funding it would have probably been a three or four year project,” Melfort Mayor Rick Lang said.

“It’s a problem that has been ongoing and needs to be addressed one way or the other. This allows them to address it maybe sooner than they have to,” Hoback said.

According to Lang the funding will completely fix the problem.

“We have been always looking at trying to address the issue but we have always had something stop us from going the whole way with fixing the issue.
What this funding will allow us to do is to fix it properly, fix it all at one time and make sure that job gets done and so that issue is resolved,” Lang explained.

Local infrastructure is an important issue to the Federal Government.
“Our government is committed to creating jobs, growth and long-term prosperity in our communities across Canada, by making investments in local infrastructure, we are helping to boost economic activity and leaving a lasting legacy of modernized community facilities for future generations,” Hoback said.

The Palace not only serves Melfort but also has become a regional hub with the Palace Wave Pool and hockey arena.

“Absolutely (it is regional) because all of our citizens use it, I have seen busloads of school children coming from as far as Prince Albert. It’s certainly something that is used by all of the people that live in the region it is an important facility for the entire Northeast,” Lang said.

“It’s a facility that is unique and it’s part of the province and it allows family’s to come together and play and spend a good Saturday afternoon with good physical activity,” Hoback said.